Actually they are because if you go to touch a cats whiskers 9/10 they will move their face away from you because they use them for feeling.. They are pretty much the same as if someone had open nerves in their hands.

"Whiskers themselves are nothing more than a type of thick/long hair. The importance of whiskers lies in the fact that they are deeply rooted in follicles which are surrounded by a muscle tissue that is very rich in nerves and sensory cells. These nerve cells in the roots are then connected to a special area of the cat’s brain."

I'm no expert in rodeos, but I think they tie a rope onto to bull near the butt, and the bull kicking is it trying to get the rope off. You can see it in the gif. There might be other things, but if a rope was tied to my butt without permission, I'd also be a bit annoyed.